Italy Busts Explosives-Using Robbery Gang: 7 Arrested Over ATM Attacks

Carabinieri officers from the Vasto company have arrested seven people in Italy suspected of belonging to a group that robbed ATMs and bank counters using explosives. The precautionary measures against them were carried out following a court ruling.

The investigation, code-named “DEVICE,” began in July 2025 following an attack on a bank counter in Gissi. During the investigation, authorities documented another 12 robberies carried out between January and September 2025 in the provinces of Chieti, Avellino, Campobasso and Potenza.

According to Italian authorities, the damage caused by the gang’s activities amounts to around €220,000. The group is suspected of selecting its targets in advance and carefully planning each operation, while using stolen or rented vehicles for transportation and phones registered in other people’s names.

Depending on their respective roles, those arrested face charges of aggravated and repeated theft committed in concert, as well as the manufacture, carrying and possession of weapons or explosives. At this stage, investigators have found no evidence linking the group to organized crime structures.